Talking Vision by Vision Australia Radio

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A special repeat of Talking Vision's World Braille Day special from ealier this year:

Vision Australia Radio and RPH network veteran Stephen Jolley, catches up with BBC North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue.

Gary has been totally blind from a young age, and so throughout his later childhood and adult life braille has played a central role in everything he does. 

Tune in to hear more from Gary about braille's role in his life, making inroads as a blind journalist on the world stage, breaking down barriers and covering the latest global news from North America over the past decade for the BBC.

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In this Talking Vision Hightlights Program we share 2 great interviews Sam did during his time on Talking Vision. Kris Rallah-Baker and Sara McDonald and Belinda Marcon.

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In this Talking Vision Hightlights Program we share 2 great interviews Sam did during his time on Talking Vision. Deena Morgan and Sandra George.

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In this Talking Vision Hightlights Program we share 2 great interviews Sam did during his time on Talking Vision. Arkan Yousef and Aaron Vernon.

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In this Talking Vision Hightlights Program we share 2 great interviews Sam did during his time on Talking Vision. Tafadzwa Nyamuzihwa and William Chen.

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In this Talking Vision Hightlights Program we share 2 great interviews Sam did during his time on Talking Vision. Arkan Yousef and Karan Nagrani.

Support this Vision Australia Radio program: https://www.visionaustralia.org/donate?src=radio&type=0&_ga=2.182040610.46191917.1644183916-1718358749.1627963141

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This week Sam catches up with Ben Harrington and Elias Labbos from Travellers Aid as they celebrate Travellers Aid's 100th Birthday.

Plus as Sam finishes up on Talking Vision for the moment, he takes some time to say farewell.

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Peter Greco catches up with Vision Australia chief mission officer Chris Edwards to speak about the changes to Vision Australia Radio taking effect on 1 July, including the conclusion of the AM services on the network.

You'll also hear from Anushka Singh, coordinator of the 'Hear and See Me' Program as part of the Speak My Language initiative. Sam catches up with Anushka to hear about who can get involved in the podcast, the languages they are looking to focus on and what sort of topics people would like to speak about. The project is a collaboration between Vision Australia Radio and Ethnic Communities Council of NSW.

Then finally this week we wrap up with a Telelink chat as Sam speaks with Telelink coordinator Maria Markou, who highlights the upcoming July Special Interest Program and what people can head along to through Telelink in July.

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Sam catches up with Anum Ejaz, a researcher from Curtin University who is looking into the accessibility of visual social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok etc.

You'll also hear from Rachael Leahcar, who is set to appear as the ambassador for this year's Adelaide Disability and Workability Expo on 26 and 27 June at the Adelaide Showgrounds.

And finally this week, editor of For Your Information Liz Dalakouras is back to give a run down of the latest issue of FYI.

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We start off this week with a Vision Australia Library update from community engagement coordinator Maureen O'Reilly. Maureen is back to fill us in on some events members can look forward to over the next two months.

You'll also hear from Sandra George, Sandra is a member of the national committee at Albinism Fellowship Australia. She has a chat with Sam about International Albinism Awareness Day on June 13, the statistics around albinism and link with blindness and low vision, as well as why the day is so important for raising awareness around albinism in the community.

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Sam catches up with Chris Gross, the creator of AVA, a web based AI companion to assist people living with blindness and low vision. You can find out more about AVA by visiting Chris' QualityLife Collective website.

You'll also hear from PhD student Aasha Rose from University of Southern Queensland, she's back to give us an update on her research into adult braille literacy. Her online survey is almost closed but there's still time, if you would like to take part you can find the survey here.

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Sam speaks to David Woodbridge, blindness product specialist from Humanware, to get an update on the latest assistive technology available later this year for Windows users who are blind or have very low vision.

David also speaks about his involvement with the Assistive Technology Round Table conference in Adelaide, and gives a preview of some topics coming up in future episodes of his podcast.

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As part of the conversation around Global Accessibility Awareness Day on Thursday 21 May, Sam speaks to Liz Dalakouras about Vision Australia's new awareness campaign "Accessibility Starts at Home".

The campaign highlights the need for home appliances to be more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision, and you can check out a series of videos, podcasts and articles on this topic by heading to the landing page.

You'll also hear from Polly Goodwin, who Sam caught up with in 2024 when she was involved in a digital media conference running a workshop to make gaming more accessible and inclusive for the blind and low vision community.

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It's a Mother's Day Special episode of Talking Vision this week as we hear from three different mums who are blind or have low vision.

Sam takes a look back at some of the conversations he's had with mums from the blind and low vision community over the years, including Wanda Egerton and Anna Dal as part of the Mother's Day panel, as well as Deena Morgan.

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Sam catches up with community engagement coordinator from the Vision Australia Library, Maureen O'Reilly, to chat about some upcoming events in May as well as some creative writing workshops the library will be running in June.

You'll also hear from William Chen, a researcher from Monash University undertaking a PhD project around accessible public transport for users who are blind or have low vision.

William is running some workshops to get the public's feedback and why they do (or don't) use public transport, and if you're interested in taking part you can send him an email to find out more.

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This week Sam is in conversation with Maximiliano Guerra Morales, a Chilean disability rights activist, mechanical engineer and coordinator of Orquesta Filarmonica Antena, a 380 person orchestra featuring people of all abilities from his hometown of La Serena.

The orchestra is coming to Australia for the first time in July and Maxi would like to encourage members of the blind and low vision community to buy a ticket for their concert at the Sydney Opera House on 10 July.

To find out more about the orchestra, including the academy of music it was borne out from, you can visit their Instagram page, or to find out more about the event and raise any questions you may have you can get in touch with Maxi.

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Sam speaks to Stephanie Amir, spokesperson from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about the upcoming Australian census which is taking place on August 11, 2026. Steph tells us about the ways in which this year's census has been made accessible and confidential for all residents who are blind or have low vision.

You'll also hear from Jason Gipps who caught up with Ben Waechter, founder of Adelaide-based disability support service Kyd-X, at the recent Adelaide Independent Living Expo, and Frances is back on the show with an Anzac Day Reader Recommended.

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Sam is joined by Peter and Rohan Rickards as well as Kathy Leitch, three of the people involved in Sensaball, an omnidirectional cane tip designed for white cane users to navigate their surroundings with improved sensitivity and feedback from the cane tip.

You'll also hear from the Vision Australia Radio Adelaide team, who recently interviewed Nathan from SANFL at the Adelaide Independent Living Expo about blind footy, how the game works and how people can get involved and play.

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Sam welcomes back ophthalmologist, remote community outreach worker and First Nations health advocate Dr Kris Rallah-Baker to the show this week.

Kris caught up with us last year to have a chat about his role in the first season of Our Medicine on SBS and NITV, now in its second season, following his work in remote communities of Australia delivering healthcare services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients who are blind or have low vision.

You'll also hear from Cody Butler and Sean Kendrick, two members of the Brisbane-based band Clear Vision. Clear Vision comprises entirely of members who are blind or have low vision, put together in collaboration between Vision Australia, Brisbane City Council and Dotted Beats as part of the Youth Harmony initiative.

They chat with Sam about Clear Vision and Youth Harmony, as well as a gig in June that the Youth Harmony committee (of which they're both members) are putting together.

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Sam catches up with two regulars on the show this week, starting off with Joanne Cabot whose website, Live Well With Vision Loss, is now available for people to visit to find advice and support for people experiencing vision loss at any stage of life.

You'll also hear from Vision Australia Library manager Sarah Bloedorn, she's back with the latest news about some upcoming events at the library, as well as some information about the new ways people can access their favourite books.

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Sam speaks to Monash University researcher Claire Dorling about her PhD addressing the need for an education-based functional vision assessment for children and young people who are blind or have low vision.

You'll also hear from Santiago Velasquez, he's back with Sam to announce his public transport app Hailo has now launched for passengers who are blind or have low vision to make their way around the Melbourne bus network. 

If you'd like to find out more about Hailo, Santiago has set up a page with all the info about Hailo's Melbourne pilot, or if you would like to download the app it's now available on the Apple Store or Google Play.

You can also find more info about Hailo through the Hailo pages on Facebook and Instagram.

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Sam welcomes back comedian Jeremy Moses to the show, Jeremy lives with low vision and mobility issues and discusses his disability along with many other topics in his show Hard to Work With, taking place between 26 March and 5 April as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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Sam speaks with musician, disability advocate and writer Skye de Vent, who recently attended ten of the events from the recent Midsumma Festival, Melbourne's premier queer arts and culture festival.

They tell us about what worked and what could be improved in their experience as an audience member living with blindness and mobility restrictions.

You'll also hear from Impact Institute's Kathryn Carey, she's back on the show this week to tell us about an upcoming Disability Expo coming to Cranbourne in late March, and Frances is back with an International Women's Day themed Reader Recommended.

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Sam catches up with Kath Duncan who, among many roles over the years including journalist, researcher, actor, director and more, has more recently became playwright of Specials, a play highlighting real stories of life as a student in Australia's special education system.

Specials will be featuring for one week in late March, between 24 and 29 March at Arts House in North Melbourne, and Kath fills us in on all the details about what people can expect and how they can grab a ticket to head along, including an audio description and tactile tour night on March 27.

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We kick off the show this week with Kelly Schulz from Knowable Me, she's here to chat to Sam about a recent report Knowable Me has released, highlighting issues with disability inclusion and accessibility in Australia's top 200 companies.

You'll also hear from Vision Australia manager of corporate affairs and government relations, Chris Edwards, who tells us about a recent trial into ride share schemes for passengers who are blind or have low vision across all other Australian states and territories outside Victoria, who were the first to implement the scheme earlier this decade.

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We have a special appearance from Peter Greco this week, as he catches up with Mac Bollella from the South Australian Electoral Commission.

With the SA state election taking place on 21 March we get the latest details on how voters who are blind or have low vision can cast their votes confidentially and accessibly.

You'll also hear from music therapist Emily Shanahan, Sam catches up with her to get a recap 12 months on from the developments in music therapy after questions over its place in the NDIS, and the efforts over the last year to advocate and continue providing music therapies to clients with disabilities.

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We have a very special guest on the show this week as Sam speaks with new Vision Australia CEO, David Williamson.

David began his tenure as CEO in October of last year, and just past the three month mark Sam caught up with him to discuss his first three months as CEO, what he's gotten involved with so far and what he's looking forward to in 2026.

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This week Sam speaks with University of Southern Queensland PhD student Aasha Rose, whose research explores braille literacy and its link to positive life outcomes for braille users who are blind or have very low vision.

We also hear from editor of For Your Information, Liz Dalakouras, as she joins Sam with the latest issue to kick off February, and Frances is back with a Reader Recommended.

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We pay tribute to Food for Thought host and avid braille book reader Joy Nuske, who sadly passed away over the holiday break.

Frances Keyland caught up with Joy a few years back on Hear This, and you'll hear from Frances and Joy today.

Sam also catches up with Megan Star from Red Feet Wines, a winery in the King Valley in Victoria who will be holding a Taste of the Senses event for wine lovers who are blind or have low vision on 21 February.

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It's a Midsumma special episode of Talking Vision this week as we feature three interviews with Karen Bryant, Dolly Diamond and Justin Clausen.

You'll hear from Vision Australia Radio favourites Tess Herbert and Karan Nagrani as they're joined by Joy 94.9 personalities Little Jase, Adz and CJ to host the 3 hour carnival special broadcast which took place at the Alexandra Gardens on Sunday 18 January.

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We kick off the show this week with Karan Nagrani, who joins the show to talk about his upcoming show From Grindr To Blindr, taking place on 7 February at the Melbourne Pride Centre.

Then after Sam catches up with Karan we feature some news and information, and Frances wraps up the show with a Reader Recommended.

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It's a World Braille Day special episode of Talking Vision as we feature Vision Australia Radio and RPH network veteran Stephen Jolley, who catches up with BBC North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue.

Gary has been totally blind from a young age, and so throughout his later childhood and adult life braille has played a central role in everything he does. 

Tune in to hear more from Gary about braille's role in his life, making inroads as a blind journalist on the world stage, breaking down barriers and covering the latest global news from North America over the past decade for the BBC.

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Welcome to the second half of our two part holiday series on Talking Vision.

This week Sam features conversation from the second half of 2025, including Conrad Browne, Maurice Gleeson, Jo Cabot and Santiago Velasquez.

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Join Sam for the first of our two part holiday series on Talking Vision.

This week you'll hear interviews from the first half of 2025 including Emily Shanahan, Theresa Rockley-Hogan, Elphie Coyle and Ben Harrington.

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Sam speaks to Anne Diez, mother of five-year-old Iko. At age two Iko lost his vision due to leukemia but thanks to Vision Australia he's been able to adapt to play and be as active as ever.

Iko is one of our Carols ambassadors this year, if you'd like to buy a ticket and head along there's still time, simply head to the Carols website.

You'll also hear from Gino who joins us with some gift ideas for that friend or family member who is blind or has low vision, so if you need some last minute Christmas shopping ideas, Gino's got you sorted!

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We kick off the show with a library update from Vision Australia Library manager Sarah Bloedorn, who gives us a sneak preview of what the library has in store for members in 2026.

You'll also hear from singer and songwriter Summer Giddings, who has recently released a single for Christmas entitled Paper Hats and Mistletoe, alongside her new album Christmas with Summer.

Then finally to wrap up we get the latest on the Telelink January interest groups from Telelink programs coordinator Maria Markou, and Frances joins the show with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam welcomes back Santiago Velazquez Hurtado, who is one of six ambassadors for this year's International Day of People with Disability. He talks about his role, the day itself and what days like this can do to raise awareness and provoke positive change for people with disabilities.

You'll also hear from Liz Dalakouras as she gives a final run down of For Your Information for 2025, and we finish up with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam speaks to Kathryn Carey from Impact Institute about their recent Melbourne Disability Expo which wrapped up on Saturday 22 November, as well as the other work Impact is doing in the disability space.

You'll also hear from Moonee Valley City Council's Kelly Armstrong, she tells us about an upcoming event in Flemington to mark the lead up to International Day of People with Disability on December 3.

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This week we celebrate the nine Vision Australia Award winners who received their awards at the recent Vision Australia Annual General Meeting on October 31.

You'll hear from all in attendance at the awards with introductions from master of ceremonies Ian Finlayson and chair Bill Jolley.

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Sam catches up with Vision Australia's manager of radio and audio services, Conrad Browne, about the recent CBAA conference in Hobart and the awards night where Vision Australia Radio picked up three awards, and Peter Greco was added to the community radio honour roll for his three decades of service to the sector.

You'll also hear from Sara McDonald and Belinda Marcon who join us to chat about the Melbourne Airport Assist program, designed to help passengers with disabilities find their way around the land side of the airport, including check in and baggage claim.

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Sam speaks to CEO of Bus Stop Films, Tracey Corbin-Matchett about an upcoming disability employment summit that Bus Stop Films has been involved in running, now is its second year.

The summit is called Driving Change, taking place over three days on 25-27 November both in Bondi and online, for members of the screen industry and creatives with lived experience of disability including but not limited to deafness, neurodivergence or mobility needs.

We also finish up with a bit of news and information, and Frances joins the show with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam speaks with Associate Professor Tien Huynh from RMIT about her team's research into a new medication using natural proteins to tackle retina-based vision conditions such as macular degeneration.

You'll also hear from 2025 Blind Australian of the Year Maurice Gleeson, who recently picked up the award for his decades of service to the blind and low vision community in the field of sport and recreation.

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This week we celebrate the 2025 Blind Australian of the Year Awards with a range of interviews and speeches featuring Vision Australia Radio's own Jason Gipps, and Blind Australian of the Year MC Karan Nagrani.

Jason and Karan take you through the night featuring conversations with Reggie Bird, Tash from Braille and Tactile Signs Australia, award winner announcements and more.

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Talking Vision turns 800! To celebrate Sam takes us on a trip back over the years to feature some of his favourite conversations with people from the blind and low vision community who have made an impact on the world in their own way.

We also hear from Wayne Speers from Yarra Trams to tell us about the upcoming Try Before you Ride event at Southern Cross on 16 October.

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Lots of action on the show this week as we kick off with a Vision Australia library update from community engagement officer Maureen O'Reilly, who fills us in on some events coming up in the library over the next two months.

Then you'll hear from Kayla Everingham from our Vision Store in Queensland, she's heading along to the Community Inclusion Expo on Saturday October 11 in Brisbane with her team plus Vision Australia Radio's own Jason Gipps.

The fun doesn't stop there as B4 tennis player Sarah Pollard joins the show to tell us about an upcoming blind and low vision tennis come and try day in Geelong on Sunday October 12, and Liz joins us for the latest updates from Vision Australia's bi-weekly newsletter For Your Information, or FYI.

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Sam speaks to Myra Woodley from Vision Australia and Mikaela Day from Kay and Burton about the upcoming Santa Fun Run, taking place on 22 November at the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne. You can find out more about the Santa Fun Run and grab you early bird tickets by heading to the Santa Fun Run website.

You'll also hear from blind and low vision indoor skydiver Tom Kennedy, he catches up with Sam to chat about his first indoor skydiving competition, meeting with fellow indoor skydiver Jo Cabot and much more.

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This week we hear from Vision Australia Radio Geelong volunteer Jo Smith, who catches up with Vision Australia access technology specialist Kent Walsdorf. Kent shares a series of tips and tricks for screen reader users to avoid email scams, and stay cyber secure.

You'll also hear from Vision Australia radio and audio manager Conrad Browne, Sam catches up with him to chat about the record nine nominations Vision Australia Radio has received this year for the upcoming Community Broadcasting Association of Australia awards, taking place in Hobart in late October.

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Sam speaks with Joanne Cabot, who recently returned from competing in the blind and low vision category of iFly, an indoor skydiving competition for participants of all abilities.

She talks to us about this as well as her Dinner in the Dark events, trying her hand at surfing, but most importantly raising awareness and encouraging more people from the blind or low vision community to come and try indoor skydiving.

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Comedian with low vision Jeremy Moses is back on the show this week to share the latest news about his new show, Hard to Work With.

You'll also hear from another Talking Vision favourite as Kelly Schulz from Knowable Me chats with Sam about some research they're conducting about accessibility in the job seeking process, and Frances joins us with a Father's Day-themed Reader Recommended.

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We feature the final segment with Ian Bailey this week, as Sam hears from him about his work at UC Berkeley from immediately before and after the turn of the millennium.

You'll also hear from Vision Australia lead policy advisor Bruce Maguire, who tells us about a new survey Vision Australia is running to hear input from home appliance users who are blind or have low vision

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You'll hear from Ian Bailey again as Sam speaks with him about his work at Berkeley in the 1980s.

Then later in the program Leslie Heagney from Braille House joins the show to tell us about the Dickinson Memorial Literary Competition, now available for submissions until 18 September, and Frances Keyland wraps up the show with a Reader Recommended.

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Dr Erica Tandori and Dr Stu Favilla join Sam on the show this week to speak about their upcoming exhibition on X-ray crystallography during National Science Week, featuring tactile and braille interfaces as well as a soundscape.

You'll also hear from Liz who's back to tell us about the latest issue of For Your Information hitting inboxes this week.

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Monash PhD student William Chen is back on the program with Sam this week discussing his new research, including a study into how people in the blind and low vision community plan their journey and navigate their surroundings with technology, and the role that AI does or doesn't play in the process.

We also hear from Melanie Lane, choreographer of PHANTASM, a new dance work taking place at Chunky Move Studios in Melbourne from 7-16 August, with a tactile tour and audio described show on the final night. Melanie is joined by Kristina Arnott from Chunky Move to tell us all about PHANTASM and Chunky Move's work in the accessibility space.

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Sam is joined by Adam Demirtel from Holstep Health alongside Debbie Loke and Megan Kohlhagen from Vision Australia to discuss Carer Gateway, an Australian Government program providing free services and support for carers.

We also feature another piece in conversation with optometrist and low vision specialist Ian Bailey, this time covering his early years of research and lecturing in low vision at UC Berkeley.

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Sam speaks to CEO and co-founder of Split Atom Labs, Aaron Vernon, whose game studio is the developer of accessible mobile game Land of Livia, currently available on all Apple devices for gamers who are blind or have low vision.

We also feature part three of Sam's interview with Ian Bailey, covering his time between teaching and research positions at University of Melbourne and UC Berkeley.

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This week features part two of Sam's conversation with optometrist, researcher and low vision pioneer Ian Bailey, featuring stories around his postgraduate studies in Indiana, returning to the school of optometry in Melbourne and starting up the low vision clinic at the Association for the Blind in Kooyong.

After we hear from Ian, Vision Australia volunteer partnerships coordinator Jordan Ashby is on the show to tell us about a four part winter webinar series taking place every Monday this month through Telelink.

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This week Sam speaks with Ian Bailey, optometrist lecturer and low vision pioneer still currently working in the school of optometry at University of California in Berkeley.

You'll hear part one of their conversation this week from Ian's early life up until leaving London for postgraduate studies in Indiana.

Then later on in the show, Liz joins us for the latest updates from Vision Australia's fortnightly newsletter For Your Information, or FYI.

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Sam speaks to Intopia digital accessibility consultant Andrew Arch about a new series of guidelines Intopia have been working on together with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Then after we hear from Andrew, Sam speaks to optometrist Greeshma Patel from Specsavers about some new findings around presbyopia, an eye condition affecting many Australians over 40.

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Sam is joined by David Davenport, accessible formats production manager at Blind Vision NZ, who visited Australia recently to take part in a round table conference with a special interest in print disability and accessible printing for clients in New Zealand.

You'll also hear from Dr Jenny Crosbie, interim director of the Centre for Inclusive Employment, run through Swinburne University to drive better outcomes for employees and job seekers with disabilities in Australia.

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Sam speaks with Vision Australia national employment manager Vildana Praljak as part of season 2 of the Career Path podcast, where she speaks about ways we can bust some common employment myths faced by people who are blind or low vision.

You'll also hear from Umberine Williams, business development manager from the allied health department of Personnel Group, who are running a pair of information sessions in Perth and Wollongong around services available to people with disabilities in their local community.

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Sam speaks to Kris Rallah-Baker, Australia's first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ophthalmologist based on the Sunshine Coast, who has also done work with the Deadly Vision Clinic in Darwin as well as clinical community outreach in remote communities of the Northern Territory.

He is part of a new series on SBS and NITV called Our Medicine, which follows the stories of First Nations medical professionals and patients as they navigate the Australian medical system, and the challenges and achievements that come with that.

After we hear from Kris, Liz is back on the show with the latest news from For Your Information, and Frances joins the show with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam is joined by Jeanna Manifold and Kate Gooden from Amazon's Alexa department to give us some updates on what Amazon is up to in the accessibility space with regards to their Alexa speakers, and what they got up to at the recent Round Table Conference covering topics related to blindness, low vision and print disability.

You'll also hear from small business owner and university student Sammy McCombe, who took part in season 2 of The Career Path, our podcast series tackling a bunch of situations faced by employees who are blind or have low vision.

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Sam catches up this week with Jonathan Craig from Vision 2020 and Brandon Ah Tong from Fred Hollows Foundation, who have both recently returned from the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness' conference in Nepal.

Among other things Brandon speaks about his new role as the chair of the IAPB's West Pacific region, and Jonathan speaks about his first IAPB conference, as they put things in place for a Global Eye Health Summit in 2026 or 2027.

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Sam speaks to Victorian Disability Worker Commissioner Dan Stubbs about a campaign the VDWC is currently running to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are upheld, and inform them of what they or those around them can do if they have a concern.

You'll also hear from writer, producer and actor Tsu Shan Chambers, who caught up with Sam to talk about her new movie, My Eyes, releasing on 28 May. You can find out more about the movie and book a ticket by heading to their web page.

Finally this week, editor of For Your Information Liz Dalakouras is back with all the latest news from the world of FYI.

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Sam speaks with Cr Anthony Aitken, access and inclusion committee chair from the City of Greater Geelong, about the council's call for community feedback to make parks, streets and public spaces safer and more accessible for residents with disabilities.

You'll also hear from CEO of Assistive Technology Services Australia, Serena Ovens. She's here to tell us about a pair of expos ATSA will be running in the next couple of weeks in Perth and Melbourne.

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It's a bit of an election special on Talking Vision as Peter Greco catches up with Rex Patrick, a senate candidate in South Australia campaigning as part of the Jacqui Lambie Network.

You'll also hear from Powerd Media's Emma Myers, who hosted a panel discussion with four advocates from the disability sector, and last but not least Sam catches up with Sam Barrett from Melbourne City Mission to talk about their upcoming fundraiser, Sleep at the G, taking place at the MCG on May 15.

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This week Sam speaks with Maureen O'Reilly from the Vision Australia Library about some events the library will be hosting in conjunction with Melbourne Writers Festival on the evening of May 9.

You'll also hear from CEO of Blind Citizens Australia Deb Deshayes, who joins the show to tell us about the upcoming BCA conference in June, and some of the initiatives BCA will be offering members in the coming weeks and months.

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Sam catches up with Elphie Coyle, founder and creative director of Lightmare Games, a games studio and digital training organisation with a focus on disability. This week Elphie tells us about a new initiative, Vibe Coding, which will be launching in the coming weeks.

Then later in the show we share some Easter news and information, and Frances wraps things up with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam speaks with Alex Morris from the Australian Electoral Commission, here to tell us about a range of accessibility measures available to voters who are blind or have low vision casting their votes at the Australian federal election on May 3.

We also feature some news and information, and Frances joins the show for a Reader Recommended.

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Sam is joined by Vision Australia Radio's Jason Gipps to chat about 100K Your Way, a fitness challenge taking place over the month of April to raise vital funds for Vision Australia Radio, you can join the challenge or donate here.

You'll also hear from Liz Dalakouras, editor of For Your Information, she's here to tell us about what's in store for readers in the latest issue of FYI.

Then to wrap up the show, we hear a small clip from the upcoming Career Path podcast with Fiona Herron from Commonwealth Bank, talking to Sam about disclosing your vision condition at work and dealing with questions around blindness and low vision.

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Sam speaks to Associate Professor Louisa Willoughby, senior lecturer in linguistics at Monash University, about tactile Auslan and a series of workshops run by Monash through a short course for practitioners of Auslan looking to better serve the needs of the deafblind community.

We also hear from Powerd Media's Emma Myers, who catches up with CEO of Children and Young People with Disability, Skye Kakoschke-Moore, to give her thoughts on what she hopes to see in this week's federal budget regarding measures to benefit Australians with disabilities.

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Sam speaks to comedian and slam poet Jeremy Moses, who returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2025 with his show 157 Years of Bad Slam Poetry.

Naturally it features his poems but also a light hearted discussion around serious topics in his life related to his disability, experiencing vision loss, and advocating for yourself when life throws its share of challenges in your way.

You'll also hear a small clip from our upcoming podcast The Career Path, this week featuring Professor Nick Titov, executive director at Mind Spot, here to talk to us about self care and mindfulness for members of the workforce who are blind or have low vision.

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Sam speaks to Camuran Albanoi, adult community mental health team leader at Goulburn Valley Health and organiser of a Harmony Day event on March 21.

They'll discuss mental health in Australia, and how to better involve and include voices from the wider community including people with disabilities.

Then later in the show we hear from Liz Dalakouras the editor of FYI, and Frances is back with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam speaks to Fraser Coast blindness and low vision advocate and fundraising superwoman Joanne Cabot who has, among other things, recently set up the Fraser Coast Blindness and Low Vision Hardship Fund, hosted a screening of the Blind Sea alongside a mini disability expo in the region.

Then later in the show, we hear from Paralympian and Vision Australia ambassador Jess Gallagher, who's here to tell us all about the upcoming annual 100K Your Way challenge taking place across the month of April to raise vital funds for Vision Australia's services to the blind and low vision community.

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Sam catches up with Vision 2020 policy and advocacy manager Jonathan Craig to speak about the body's priorities for an incoming federal government following this year's election, regarding the health and wellbeing of the blind and low vision community.

We also hear a sneak peek of an interview from an upcoming podcast, this week featuring blindness and low vision advocate and influencer Karan Nagrani, who talks about impostor syndrome and managing expectations at work as an employee who is blind or has low vision.

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This week there's a few things happening around Vision Australia as the Vision Australia Graduate Program is now open for applications until March 31, Sam speaks to equity and inclusion advisor Rachael Ramsdale to find out more.

Then we hear from Vision Australia Library manager Sarah Bloedorn, who's back with us to chat about some upcoming events at the library plus some new releases members can look forward to.

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It's World Radio Day this week on February 13 and to celebrate Sam is catching up with a couple of guests to speak about this year's theme, Radio and Climate Change: A Powerful Tool for Climate Action.

Kicking off the show we hear from ABC radio emergency broadcast lead Theresa Rockley-Hogan, who speaks about why radio is so important to keep people informed about their environment and how they keep their messaging accessible.

You'll also hear from Vision Australia lead policy advisor Bruce Maguire, who tells us about the latest research Vision Australia has been doing to inform the wider public and decision makers about the impact climate change has had and continues to have on the lives of people who are blind or have low vision.

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This week Sam speaks to Port Campbell resident Brendan Hyland, member of the Port Campbell Accessible Beaches Project providing equipment and accessible pathways to and from Port Campbell Beach for people with disabilities.

After our chat with Brendan, you'll hear from Joseph Friedman who catches up with Sam to speak about his involvement with Inside Voice, a new reading program on Vision Australia Radio featuring content by and for incarcerated persons in Australia.

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This week we highlight All Abilities Day at the Australian Open which took place on 21 January at Melbourne Park, featuring world #1s Grace Hobbs and Ross Patterson, who caught up with Sam to chat about their experiences.

Then after Grace and Ross we hear from Liz Dalakouras, the editor of Vision Australia's fortnightly newsletter For Your Information (FYI), and Frances joins the show for a Reader Recommended.

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It's a Midsumma special episode of Talking Vision as we feature two interviews from the live outside broadcast which took place as part of Midsumma Carnival Day on 19 January at the Alexandra Gardens.

You'll hear from Sam Colley and Karan Nagrani as they interview trans disabled theatre all rounder Oliver Ayres, then later on Conrad Browne and Tess Herbert catch up with Anastasia Lee, board member at the Victorian Pride Centre.

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Sam catches up with Ben Harrington from Travellers' Aid, offering accessibility and mobility services for passengers with disabilities at major stations but also events such as the Australian Open.

And speaking of the Open, Action Audio is back for the 5th year in a row to provide an auditory companion for tennis fans who are blind or have low vision, Sam chats with Tennis Australia's Gerard Mason all about it to find out more.

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Sam speaks with music therapist Emily Shanahan following the recent developments around NDIS funding for music and art therapies, and the positive impact it has had and continues to have for people of all ages with disabilities such as blindness or low vision.

Then after we hear from Emily, Maureen from the library is back on the show with a preview of all the exciting things going on in the library for 2025, and Frances wraps up the program with a Reader Recommended.

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We celebrate World Braille Day on the show this week, with an extra special anniversary in 2025 as this year marks the 200th birthday of braille since Louis Braille innovated the writing system in 1825.

Sam kicks off the show speaking to Tristan Clare, chair of the Australian Braille Authority as well as publications officer at Next Sense to talk about why braille plays such a vital role for people who are blind or have very low vision.

Later in the program you'll also hear from braille music specialist Jordie Howell, she gives us a rundown of braille music including a chat about the annual braille music camp in Mittagong for young braille musicians around Australia.

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This week we feature the best of Talking Vision in 2024, with some of Sam's favourite interviews from the year as you sit back on Christmas Day for a holiday special episode of Talking Vision.

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Sam speaks with Associate Professor Matthew Butler from Monash University's Faculty of Information Technology and president of Round Table, Sonali Marathe, who tell us about a new series of 3D printing guidelines for educational materials designed to be tactile and accessible to students who are blind or have low vision.

We also catch up with editor of For Your Information, Liz Dalakouras, to get an update on the final issue of FYI for 2024, and Frances is back with a Reader Recommended.

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This week Sam speaks with Dale Pierce and Sharon Taylor, two participants heading along to take part in the Vision Australia Trek for Vision.

The trek takes place over five days from April 29 to May 3 2025 on the Abel Tasman track on the South Island of New Zealand, to raise vital funds for Vision Australia client services such as the quality living groups helping people navigate life with vision loss.

To donate to Dale and Sharon's trek you can visit this link to Dale's fundraising page or this link to Sharon's fundraising page

If you would like to join Dale and Sharon or find out more about Trek for Vision you can visit visionaustralia.org/trekforvision

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Sam is joined by Janene Sadhu and Michael Janes, who both took up the option of live audio description at the 2023 Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight. They tell us about their experiences at the Bowl with AD, in the lead up to this year's Carols on Christmas Eve simulcast on Vision Australia Radio.

You'll also hear from Keith McVilly, a member of the Disability Worker Registration Board of Victoria, who have partnered with the Victorian Disability Worker Commission to conduct a public consultation on disability registration standards, open until 13 December.

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This week we hear from social worker and youth mentor Ian Clements, who after experiencing vision loss as a young adult overcame the various challenges that came with that to work as part of the Top Blokes Foundation in the Hunter Valley region.

Then later on in the show we feature some news and information about the upcoming International Day of People with Disability on Tuesday December 3, and Frances joins the show for a Reader Recommended.

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Hear from Jason Gipps as he catches up with guest curator of Geelong Design Week, Dr Tonya Meyrick, to chat about how they are making design accessible for members of the public who are blind or have low vision.

Later in the show it's award season as we recap the 2024 Vision Australia awards with Vision Australia acting CEO Justine Heath, who presented the awards at the recent Vision Australia Annual General Meeting on 31 October, and finally this week Marie is back with Penny Holmes-Brown from APM, winner of the Employer of Choice Award at the Blind Australian of the Year Awards.

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Sam caught up a while back with blind endurance runner, motivational speaker and all around thrill seeker Ben Pettingill, whose aim for 2024 is to run 3,249km for mental health in a project he calls 3249 Blind.

You'll also hear from Liz who's back to tell us about the latest issue of For Your Information, and we hear from Blind Australian of the Year Award winner Courtney Webeck who spoke with Marie from Vision Australia in Brisbane following her award win.

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This week on the show Sam speaks with father and son Peter and Rohan Rickards, alongside Kathy Leitch from Vision Australia.

Peter and Rohan are the inventors of Sensaball, a multi-directional cane tip designed to give greater feedback and less friction and vibration for white cane users.

Then after you hear from Peter Rohan and Kathy, Karan Nagrani is back on the show after catching up with Brisbane volunteer Marie for an interview at the Blind Australian of the Year Awards in Brisbane late last month.

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Sam is joined by Corene Strauss and Brooke Carter from the Australian Disability Network, who are here to tell us all about the PACE mentoring program for job seekers with disabilities, as well as their upcoming It's Not Hard to be Inclusive campaign running in the lead up to International Day of People with Disability on 3 December.

Then later in the show Sarah from the library is back to tell us all about the latest updates to the Vision Australia library, and we finish up with some news and information.

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Sam is joined by Samara Cunningham, artistic director of South Gippsland-based theatre company (It's no) drama who are hosting a production in November.

Very shortly they will also be running a training session to help locals make the performing arts more accessible for performers and staff in the region who are blind or have low vision.

Then later in the show Sam catches up with Harzita Hashim from the Children and Young People team at Vision Australia, as well as a very special guest from the North Pole, in the lead up to the Santa Fun Run taking place over two weeks in late November to raise vital funds for children who are blind or have low vision.

Finally to wrap up, we finish with some news and information and Frances joins the show with a Reader Recommended.

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Sam welcomes back Karan Nagrani to Talking Vision this week in the lead up to the Blind Australian of the Year Awards held on 26 October in Brisbane, where Karan will be the MC.

Then we hear from Vanessa Papastavros who's here to tell us about the latest news from Speak My Language, a series of national audio and video podcasts featuring stories, advice and lived experiences of cultural and linguistically diverse Australians with disabilities.

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World Sight Day is coming up on October 10 and to celebrate this week on Talking Vision Sam catches up with paediatric ophthalmologist Dr Stephen Hing from the Retina and Eye Clinic in Sydney. 

Stephen joined Sam to speak about this year's themes for World Sight Day: the importance of eye care in young people and inspiring children everywhere to love their eyes.

Later in the show you'll also hear from Maureen O'Reilly from the Vision Australia library, who's here to tell us about an upcoming event on November 6 covering the latest reading tools and accessible technology, and finally Liz joins the show to give us an update on the latest news from For Your Information (FYI).

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October is a busy month in the world of performing arts with Arts Centre Melbourne's disability led arts initiative, Alter State, kicking off from October 2 to 13. Sam speaks with access consultant Sarah Houbolt and CEO of Vitae Veritas Nilgun Guven all about what people can expect if they head along.

Then later in the show, The Other Film Festival is shortly upon us running from October 3 to 16, you'll hear from artistic director Fiona Tuomy as she fills Sam in on this year's festival, and what Arts Access Festival has planned to celebrate TOFF's 20th birthday.

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Sam is away this week but you'll hear from Jason Gipps who caught up with a group of graduates from the Career Visions program.

Career Visions is a Queensland based program run in partnership between Vision Australia and the Queensland government to give job seekers who are blind or have low vision important skills for their chosen careers, and gain the confidence to jump back into the workforce.

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Sam catches up on the show this week with comedian Jeremy Moses, who lives with a rare vision condition which has resulted in him being legally blind from birth.

In the past year Jeremy has taken to the stage to share his lived experience of disability, and he will be taking his talents to the Fringe Festivals in Sydney and Melbourne over the coming weeks.

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